Wade Roberts

Associate Professor, Assc Chr

Contact Information

Research and Teaching Interests

I currently teach courses in the sociology of health and medicine, spatial analysis of social issues, environmental sociology, quantitative research methods, and social policy.

My scholarly interests are currently focused on two primary areas—the social determinants of health and the spatial analysis of social issues. With respect to the former, I am exploring racial and class disparities in blood lead levels in young children. Elevated lead levels have been linked to both cognitive and emotional outcomes in children, as well as related social outcomes throughout the life course, such as educational attainment. This research highlights the role of social factors in shaping health outcomes that ultimately inform long-standing questions about the mechanisms and processes behind the social reproduction of inequality across generations. A second body of research uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map the distribution of community hazards, resources, and events to better inform our understanding of the spatial dimensions of inequality and poverty. This research is connected to my course on the spatial analysis of social issues and emerging opportunities for community-based research at Colorado College.